1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plurality of articulable links to extend the capable distance of movement of components of a medical device.
2. Prior Art
Typical modem surgery may be identified as laparoscopic surgery, which may be defined as minimally invasive surgery upon a patient utilizing small or miniaturized medical devices by which body tissue is cut, removed or cauterized by small manipulable devices through small incisions or openings within the patient's body. A grasper or dissector is one such tool for that type of surgery. Such a device may be utilized to grab, dissect, treat or move tissue out of the surgical situs where other tissue may be surgically treated.
Such devices may be seen in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,131 to Kalikow and U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,149 to Meade. These devices have a handle assembly into which an elongated tubular housing is attached. The elongated housing has a distalmost end with a set of pinching jaws thereon. The pinching jaws in this example are utilized to crimp a clip so as to crimp a mammalian tissue. The jaws are activated by squeezing a trigger on the housing assembly on the proximal end of the device. Such a squeezing trigger motion effects the pinching of the jaws together on a staple-like clip. Should it be desired to utilize a longer legged clip to be pinched within the jaws of that crimping device, longer legged staples would jam such a mechanism and the jaws unfortunately would likely not be able to tolerate such a pinching or squeezing effect.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiplier extension arrangement on a medical device to permit that medical device to have a longer reach or extendibility thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multiplier extension arrangement which permits a first or forward motion to be converted into a larger second or forward motion and a first or rearward or proximal motion to be converted into a larger rearward or proximal motion relative to an output end of the multiplier extension apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for permitting longer legged staples or clips to be utilized in a standard triggered-housing assembly of a clip applying device.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gain of displacement or distance in a linear tool of a given length, to permit a short-distance traveling bearing to advance a longer legged clip or staple.
It is an object of the present invention to permit the use of the proximal handle (and bearing arrangement) of a “regular” clip applier device with a replacement barrel and clinch jaw arrangement including an extender arrangement to permit larger clips to be properly utilized with that regular clip applier device without having to purchase an entirely new applier device.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.